Why Do Horses Need Haylage?

Many equine nutritionists now recommend feeding haylage instead of hay although there are pros and cons to each. Haylage is much closer to the horses natural diet of grass, both in texture and nutritional value it is more palatable and digestible than hay, has a higher nutritional value and is less dusty.

Why is haylage good for horses?

The Benefits of Haylage
The biggest benefit of haylage over hay for many owners is that haylage is dust free. The moisture in haylage can absorb any potentially harmful spores that horses can inhale, and they stick to the grass – meaning they’re eaten instead of breathed in.

Do horses need haylage?

Haylage is great for horses in regular work, young horses with greater energy and protein requirements for growth and older horses who need an easily digestible source of forage.

Is haylage better than hay for horses?

Contrary to popular belief, haylage is normally lower in sugar than hay, and contains more protein. Soaking or steaming your hay can help to reduce sugar levels. Make sure you store your hay/haylage carefully to get the most from your money.

How is haylage different to hay?

Haylage is grass that’s been cut at an earlier stage of growth than hay. And instead of being left to dry, haylage is wilted. This means it has a much higher moisture content. Because it’s not put through a long drying process, haylage is able to retain more of its nutrients – particularly protein.

How long can horses go without haylage?

Why should I offer hay or haylage 24 hours a day? Firstly, horses should never be without a fibre source for more than about 2 hours. Their digestive tract is designed to process a trickle of food on an almost constant basis.

Can you feed haylage and hay together?

It isn’t advisable for horses who are prone to weight gain or those who suffer from laminitis. Some horses can find haylage too rich for their digestive tract and it can upset them. Some people have found though that mixing hay and haylage to balance in this situation may be the answer!

Does haylage affect horses Behaviour?

But today, horses and ponies are frequently stabled for part or all of the day and fed a limited supply of preserved forage, such as hay or haylage. This ultimately restricts their natural feeding pattern. If this is not adequately addressed, it can increase the risk of disease and/or abnormal behaviours.

Does haylage put weight on horses?

Haylage can provide horses prone to weight gain or laminitis with an excess of energy provided by their forage.

Is haylage better than dry hay?

Properly done, most livestock tend to find haylage more palatable than dry hay. However, when acetic acid levels increase, again due to the contents bring overly wet, feed intake tends to significantly decrease. Nutritional content is also something that can be compromised by improper moisture.

Does haylage cause laminitis?

False. Horses that have a history of laminitis and are therefore prone to laminitis require a forage that is ideally less than 10% water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) sugars)).

When should I feed my horse haylage?

It is much more digestible than hay and if your horse is prone to gastric ulcers or colic you will likely opt for feeding haylage over hay. Horse’s that are fussy eaters or poor doers often do much better on haylage.

Does haylage make horses fizzy?

Will haylage send my horse fizzy?! While haylage is typically lower in sugar in comparison to hay, making sugar itself unlikely to be the cause of fizzy behaviour, an early cut haylage will be more digestible and therefore provide more nutrients and digestible energy (calories) in comparison to most hays.

Why is haylage better than hay?

Haylage is much closer to the horses natural diet of grass, both in texture and nutritional value it is more palatable and digestible than hay, has a higher nutritional value and is less dusty.

Can haylage cause colic?

WINTER CAUSES
Hay and haylage is only approximately 10-40% moisture compared to the 75% moisture contained in spring and summer grass. With this decrease in moisture intake the processed feed is too dry to move along the digestive tract and problems with impaction can occur.

Why is haylage wrapped in plastic?

However, in many British summers, this low moisture target can be difficult to meet, and farmers often opt to make haylage instead. “Haylage has a higher moisture content than hay and traditionally is wrapped in plastic, intended to prevent the entry of air and limit damage by yeasts and moulds,” he says.

Can horses survive on just hay?

Many pleasure and trail horses don’t need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

Should horses be stabled at night?

Horses are all different, so some may prefer stabling more than others. However, whatever your horse likes, or dislikes are, stabling is a requirement – particularly during the night. Horses need stables during the night to protect them from bad weather such as rain and snow.

Can horses go 12 hours without eating?

Ideally, horses should go no longer than 4 hours between forage meals and be fed on a consistent schedule. However, it’s hard to predict when, or if, an extended time period without forage will cause health issues like colic and ulcers.

How long should you leave haylage before feeding?

To be safe, wait at least 8 weeks after wrapping to begin feeding baleage bales. This time will ensure that the forage is fully ensiled and does not begin to deteriorate or heat when it is fed.

How long does a bale of haylage last one horse?

2-3 days
However, as a rough guide, a bale of haylage (when fed as the sole forage source) will last 2-3 days for a 15hh (approx. 450kg) horse.